12/15/2006

Elder Hu'acan: Brother, Leader, and Friend

Taino'ti Guaitiao,

I write with both sadness and relief in my heart.

Taino elder Hu'acan (John P. Vidal) crossed just after midnight this morning. The cancer that came to take him finally lost to the ancestors who came to take him. He had been in increasing pain over the past two weeks, having stopped any attempts to fight the cancer with chemo months ago. The caring and deeply loving staff members at the hospice he was in were more than accommodating, allowing ceremony to happen all evening. He was surrounded by drummers, singers, medicine, and love in those last days and hours. Our sister, Gina Reyes, was there when he passed; he was far from alone.

Below are quotes from an email Hu'acan posted back on September 28, 2005 about love that I think speak accurately to Hu'acan's gift to all of us. I am honored to have been given the gift to know him at all, and to have been with him in these days leading to his crossing. He was, is, and will remain a well-loved man.

Oma'bahari and Good Journeys Hu'acan…I love you,

Sarobei (Deanna Rivera),UCTP Liaison Officer,State of California

"Love is something that you can leave behind you when you die. It's that powerful."

"The Old Ones say, love is all anyone needs. Love doesn't go away nor can love be divided. Once you commit an act of love, you'll find it continues. Love is like setting up dominos one behind the other. Once you hit the first domino, it will touch the second one which will touch the third one and so on. Every love act or love thought has an affect on each person as well as touching the whole world. If you live a life filled with love, the results will affect your friends, relatives and other people, even after you go to the other side. So... Love."

"My Creator, let me love. Let me put into action the love dominos."

- Hu'acan (John P. Vidal)

Hu'acan (John P. Vidal) , 20 August 1949 - December 15, 2006

UCTP Liaison Officer for the State of California, Community and Ceremonial Leader, Veteran, beloved Father, Brother, Uncle, Councilor and Friend...

2 comments:

We received the news of Húacan’s passing, Friday, with both sadness and gratitude in our hearts.My family and I were honored with the opportunity to spend time with Húacan and to help care for him while he was in Boriké (aka Puerto Rico) at Naniki’s home, El Caney Quinto Mundo, in Orocovis just a few weeks ago.

Despite his pain, Húacan was always filled with such great love and appreciation for everyone and everything, and he always stood ready to humbly serve and defend the Taíno people. His work with the Department of Corrections (DOC) Outreach Program and his contributions as a UCTP Representative will be remembered by many. Before he became too ill to get around and despite the toll his cancer was taking on him, shortly after Húacan arrived in Boriké, he went to Caguas with Naniki to protest the desecration of a sacred Taíno burial site.

As he began to spend more time bedridden, I remember how much he enjoyed just listening to me read to him. We can, therefore, only imagine how much he enjoyed listening to the drummers and singers, and feeling the love that surrounded him. We are truly thankful that his passing was accompanied by such good medicine and love by both the hospice staff and our Taíno people and friends. Yaya Bless you all, now and always, as Yaya and the Ancestors receive our Brother and Friend, John P. Húacan Vidal, with loving arms.

Omábahari and Good Journeys, Elder Húacan. Although you may have thought you needed to do more in this lifetime, rest assured that you did all that you were meant to do; you put into action those “Love Dominos”.

We are thankful to have known you in this lifetime and to know that you, along with the rest of our Ancestors, will watch over us as we continue along our paths. We will always love and remember you, and we know that you will always be loved and remembered by all those who knew you for the loving soul you are. Although we are saddened by your passing, we are happy in the knowledge that you are with the Ancestors, free from disease and pain, yet free to love and be loved.

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